This Was My Auto "Sound System" In 1964

fmdog44

fmdog44

Well-known Member
Location
Houston, Texas
Just saw this radio I had for my 57 Plymouth. My steady girl held it while I drove. I always figured she had to love me because my junkie car with no stereo radio was not exactly a chick magnet.My Radio.jpg
 

Now, my 2018 Ford Focus Titanium has 10 speakers which includes a boom box in the trunk. It is a SONY radio. Nice car, cheap gas these days but no where to go as that pandanic has us all inmates in our own homes. Miss that "freedom of the wide open road" with Johnny Cash or Buddy Holly blasting out of one little speaker. Boy did we have fun!
 
Did anyone ever do this in other towns? I was in Miles City, Montana 1959. We would listen to KOMA Oklahoma City BLASTING as loud as possible over the radio with all the windows rolled down (even in the cold winter) so everyone in the world could hear this GREAT MUSIC! Yeah! Buddy Holly, Duane Eddy, The Platters, Roy Orbiison, Johnny Rivers, The Crests, Gene Pitney . We would hear Wolfman Jack! (DJ) Can anyone relate to any of this? DRAGGIN' MAIN!
 
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Packerjohn said:
Now, my 2018 Ford Focus Titanium has 10 speakers which includes a boom box in the trunk. It is a SONY radio. Nice car, cheap gas these days but no where to go as that pandanic has us all inmates in our own homes. Miss that "freedom of the wide open road" with Johnny Cash or Buddy Holly blasting out of one little speaker. Boy did we have fun!
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Johnny Cash. (y)(y)

one piece at a time.jpg
 
Gaer said:
Did anyone ever do this in other towns? I was in Miles City, Montana 1959. We would listen to KOMA Oklahoma City BLASTING as loud as possible over the radio with all the windows rolled down (even in the cold winter) so everyone in the world could hear this GREAT MUSIC! Yeah! Buddy Holly, Duane Eddy, The Platters, Roy Orbiison, Johnny Rivers, The Crests, Gene Pitney . We would hear Wolfman Jack! (DJ) Can anyone relate to any of this? DRAGGIN' MAIN!
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Yes, I can relate to all that music because I still have over 200 LP records from that era & I have recorded over 400 CDs & listen to them on most days. Old time rock 'n roll is not the same as heavy metal nor rap. So glad that I kept those LPs. The story I heard is that when the new CD format came out, people were taking LP albums to the dump. Now an LP sells for $30 - $40. They made a bad mistake. Just like my brother sold his 1960 Gibson Hummingbird guitar for $300. What the "hay" were all those people thinking?
 
Packerjohn said:
Just like my brother sold his 1960 Gibson Hummingbird guitar for $300. What the "hay" were all those people thinking?
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I have a lady friend that's an absolute Gibson freak. I love it when the mood hits and she plays. 🙂 (y) She has nine at last count, but, I haven't seen her for a couple of months so there may be more.

Amber and Theresa.jpgAzula.jpg91803579_10156807094110964_2927293419388665856_o.jpgthe gang.jpg
 
Gaer said:
aaaah! Packer John: You are SO COOL! Were you a singer, guitar player, what? This is SO COOL!
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I was a high school teacher & world back packer during my holidays but music has been my passion for pretty well all my life. Life without some sort of passion is pretty sad. I am busy 16 hours/day with all my interests. Lucky me, I guess!
 
fmdog44 said:
How many times driving down the road did we see an 8-track cassette on the side of the road with the tape having been pulled out?
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Ye the take up reel stopped working even on the smaller cassettes. Now you can get CDs and satellite radio and tune t the music you like. I'm listening to country favorited now on you tube. I like all music that I can hear the words. March music to get me going. I played in army cadet band. Trumpet.
 
fmdog44 said:
Mine was a 57 that is at least 58
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I'm sorry fm, I didn't have enough left to positively ID the year. Between 57 and 58, Plymouth only made a few subtle changes. The biggest was going to a 4 headlights the same size in 58 where as the 57 had different sizes up front. (I can't see the headlights). Also, the hubcaps on 57 are distinct and a favorite of hot rodder's. (of course, no hubcaps) Both years offered the same bumper although certain models had a different one also. I guess the one main difference was the fender spear, flat chrome on 57 and added a fin on the 58. Side trim and body design stayed the same.
Did I mention how much I love cars. 🙂

57ply.jpg1958_Ply.jpg
 
My son could identify the make of car by the tail lights. He was ten years old and we would be driving behind cars. When you think of it that's a distinguishing feature even now. He loves stick shift. Bought a new Austin Mini.
 
You people with your fancy 8 track players, tapes, CDs 8-12 speakers, well, I had a 4 track, and two speakers. Of course, there was a big hole on one of the speakers. I had $300 "specials". These cars had at minimum of 5 previous owners. They came with the dealership's famous "11-11" guarantee. "Eleven minutes on Route 11". I'd crank up that 4 track, and at times you could even hear the bass , if there was no traffic.

It's not strange that jmdog44 had a 'tansister". Back in the 50s & early 60s, Most of "popular" music was heard in cars with AM mono equipment. The tunes were engineered to sound better on car radios. I remember stereo, and the switch to FM in the late 60s.
 
sqatting dog I thought you might appreciate this...…..check out the 0-60 16.2 seconds!!!!!!!!

Performance comparisons of the three cars varied—the Chevrolet had a 280 hp V-8, the Ford a 300 hp and the Fury a 305 hp. Overall gas mileage in stop-and-go driving gave Chevrolet top honors at 12.7 mpg, with Ford in second at 10.3. The Fury returned a dismal 8.4 mph. Highway driving brought similar results—Chevrolet 14.6mpg, Ford 13.4mpg and Plymouth 10.6mpg.

Zero to 60 mph tests showed Plymouth at its best, the Fury zipping to a 7.7 second run, followed by the Chevrolet in 9.1 seconds, with Ford bringing up the rear in 10.2 seconds. Quarter-mile times were much closer; while the Ford wasn't recorded in this test, Plymouth barely nipped out Chevrolet, reaching 86.5 mph in 16.1 seconds to the Impala's 83.5 mph in 16.5 seconds.

Nearly all of the road tests were conducted with the biggest V-8s, except for a July 1958 Motor Life road test of a 6-cylinder overdrive Savoy Club Sedan. Motor Life's comments on the car were "good basic transportation" with a "marked air of austerity." The Savoy six recorded an overall average of 18 mpg and lumbered through the 0-60 mph trial in 16.2 seconds. Commenting on the car, Motor Life concluded, "Owning a Plymouth six instead of a V- 8 unquestionably will result in saving some money in purchase price (the V-8 cost an additional $107) and operating and maintenance costs but the difference is so slight it will be worthwhile to only a few. Echoing the other magazines, Motor Life called the Plymouth's handling "magnificent." Road testers' preference for the V-8 echoed the buying public's-the Mound Road engine plant celebrated building its one millionth V-8 engine June 8.
 
Gaer said:
Did anyone ever do this in other towns? I was in Miles City, Montana 1959. We would listen to KOMA Oklahoma City BLASTING as loud as possible over the radio with all the windows rolled down (even in the cold winter) so everyone in the world could hear this GREAT MUSIC! Yeah! Buddy Holly, Duane Eddy, The Platters, Roy Orbiison, Johnny Rivers, The Crests, Gene Pitney . We would hear Wolfman Jack! (DJ) Can anyone relate to any of this? DRAGGIN' MAIN!
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Oh yes, I remember very well. Young people today will not know this joy!
 
Gaer said:
Did anyone ever do this in other towns? I was in Miles City, Montana 1959. We would listen to KOMA Oklahoma City BLASTING as loud as possible over the radio with all the windows rolled down (even in the cold winter) so everyone in the world could hear this GREAT MUSIC! Yeah! Buddy Holly, Duane Eddy, The Platters, Roy Orbiison, Johnny Rivers, The Crests, Gene Pitney . We would hear Wolfman Jack! (DJ) Can anyone relate to any of this? DRAGGIN' MAIN!
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Great taste in music fer shure. Did something similar but in the mid-Atlantic, not Big Sky country, and never listened to KOMA, or the Wolfman.
 
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